Device, System and Method for Automatic Flushing with a Multiple Valve

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (2) for automatically flushing liquid lines, in particular drinking water lines, with at least one connection (4) for a water conduit, with at least one connection (6) for a wastewater conduit, and with a flushing valve (8) which is arranged between the connections for the water conduit and wastewater conduit. The object of providing a device for automatic flushing that allows a flushing behaviour which is better tailored to the conditions is achieved in that the flushing valve (8) comprises a multiple valve with parallel valves (10). The invention further relates to a system of water lines and to a method for automatically flushing water lines using a device according to the invention.

Claims

1. A device for the automatic flushing of liquid lines, in particular drinking water lines, comprising at least one connection for a liquid conduit, at least one connection for a drainage conduit, and with a flushing valve that is arranged between the connections for the liquid conduit and drainage conduit, wherein the flushing valve comprises a multiple valve with parallel valves arranged next to each other, the device further comprising a control unit, which controls the opening and closing of the individual valves in the flushing valve, wherein the control unit is configured to vary the number of parallel opened valves from the multiple valve in a flushing procedure, depending on the size of the liquid line, with which the device is connected.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the multiple valve has parallel magnetic valves, in particular a quadruple magnetic valve.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein a free discharge is arranged between the flushing valve and the connection for a drainage conduit, in particular with a jet controller.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein a backflow vessel is provided.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein a backflow sensor, in particular comprising a floating sensor, is provided.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein an odour trap is arranged between the flushing valve and the connection for a drainage conduit.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the flushing valve comprises at least one flow limiter, in particular at least one flow limiter in each valve of the multiple valve.

8. (canceled)

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein a flow sensor is provided.

10. A system of liquid lines, in particular drinking water lines, with the device according to claim 1, with a liquid conduit connected to the device and with a drainage conduit connected to the device.

11. A method for the automatic flushing of liquid lines, in particular drinking water lines, using the device according to claim 1, wherein flushing procedures are envisaged in which the multiple valve is opened for flushing a liquid conduit and is closed again after a flushing duration, and wherein the opening and closing of the individual valves in the flushing valve are controlled via a control unit., wherein in a flushing procedure the number of parallel opened valves from the multiple valve is varied, depending on the size of the liquid line, with which the device is connected.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the opening and closing of the multiple valve is controlled via a control unit, in particular in a time-dependent, temperature-dependent manner and/or depending on the flow through the liquid conduit.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the number of valves in the multiple valve to be opened in a flushing procedure is fixed in a time-dependent, temperature-dependent manner and/or depending on the flow through the liquid conduit.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein a flushing procedure is automatically ended in case of a backflow.

Description

[0038] With regard to further advantages and arrangements of the method according to the invention reference is made to the above details and sub-claims regarding the device and the system according to the invention and also to the drawings, in which:

[0039] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention in a sectional representation,

[0040] FIG. 2 is a perspective, schematic view of the first exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention,

[0041] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a second exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention,

[0042] FIG. 4 is a perspective, schematic view of the second exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention, and

[0043] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a system according to the invention.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of the device 2 according to the invention for automatic flushing. The device 2 comprises a connection 4 for a liquid conduit, a connection 6 for a drainage conduit, and a flushing valve 8, which is arranged between the connections 4, 6 for the liquid conduit and drainage conduit.

[0045] The flushing valve 8 includes according to the invention a multiple valve, in the form of a quadruple magnetic valve in this exemplary embodiment. The quadruple magnetic valve comprises a total of four magnetically controlled valves 10 of identical cross-section, of which only two valves 10a, 10b are visible in the view of FIG. 1. The valves 10 of the quadruple magnetic valve are thereby arranged parallel to one another, i.e. the liquid pathway from the connection 4 for a liquid line can run next to one another over the individual valves 10. The volume flow through the flashing valve 8 can thus be regulated in a simple manner via the number of open valves 10. For example, four valves 10 each having a flow rate of 12 l/min (10%) are used, whereby the volume flow can be regulated depending on the connected liquid line or also depending on the operating mode, in the stages 0.fwdarw.12.fwdarw.24.fwdarw.36.fwdarw.48 l/min (in each case 10%).

[0046] The device 2 furthermore comprises a backflow vessel 12, which is arranged between the flushing valve 8 and the connection 6 to a drainage conduit. The backflow vessel 12 provides a containment volume, that for example in the case of a volume flow through the open flushing valve 8 that is too high for the drainage conduit or a blocked drainage conduit, prevents liquid drained by the flushing from being forced back into the liquid line. In the event of a backflow the backflow vessel 12 first of all fills with liquid before this reaches the liquid conduit.

[0047] A free discharge 14 is arranged between the flushing valve 8 and the connection 6 to a drainage conduit. In this way a run-off of the liquid from the liquid conduit when the flushing valve 8 is open can be ensured in a simple manner. A jet control 16 controls the flow of the liquid with regard to its jet shape and flow rate. The jet control 16 allows a uniform and constant outflow jet in the free discharge 14.

[0048] An odour trap 18 is arranged between the flushing valve 8 and the connection 6 for a drainage conduit. The odour trap 18 prevents an escape of gases from the drainage conduit, in particular into the free discharge 14.

[0049] The device comprises a backflow sensor 20, which monitors whether liquid from the drainage conduit flows back due to a backflow in a flushing procedure and threatens to enter the liquid line, wherein the liquid level in the backflow vessel 12 and/or in the free discharge 14 is detected. If a backflow is detected by the backflow sensor 20, then by closing the flushing valve 8 liquid from the discharge conduit can be prevented from reaching the liquid conduit. A floating sensor or a floating switch can be provided as backflow sensor 20.

[0050] The backflow vessel 12 is dimensioned so that the volume of the backflow vessel 12 is sufficient to close the flushing valve 8 within its switching time in the event of a backflow, before liquid from the drainage conduit can flow in.

[0051] A flow sensor 22 is arranged between the connection 4 for a liquid conduit and the flushing valve 8 and can detect a flow of the liquid. This can serve to monitor a flushing procedure and in particular to detect leakages. If for example the flushing valve 8 does not fully close or is not tight, then a flow is recorded at the flow sensor 22 and the leak is detected.

[0052] A control unit 24 controls the opening and closing of the individual valves 10 in the flushing valve 8. The control unit 24 also receives information form the backflow sensor 20 and flow sensor 22. The control unit 24 automates the flushing procedures and can in addition also automatically close the flushing valve 8 if the backflow 20 detects a backflow.

[0053] FIG. 2 shows for purposes of clarification a perspective, schematic view of the first exemplary embodiment of the device 2 according to the invention, with the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1. In addition a housing 26 is provided. In FIG. 2 a non-circular shape or a non-circular cross-section of the backflow vessel 12 can be recognised, which here is in the shape of a rounded square. Further cross-sectional shapes are however also conceivable.

[0054] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a second exemplary embodiment of the device 2 according to the invention. In FIGS. 3 and 4 the same reference numerals are chosen for the corresponding elements as in FIGS. 1 and 2. The main differences compared to the first exemplary embodiment are the use of a pressure switch as backflow sensor 20 and also the circular shape and the circular cross-section of the free discharge 14 and of the backflow vessel 12, as can be recognised from the perspective view in Fig.4.

[0055] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a system 28 according to the invention with a device 2 according to the invention for the automatic flushing of a liquid conduit 30 into a drainage conduit 32. The liquid conduit 30 can include multiple straight lines and loop lines, and is illustrated in a simplified manner in FIG. 3 as a linear line with multiple consumers 34a, 34b, 34c arranged behind one another. The liquid conduit 30 is supplied with liquid from a liquid source 36. If for example the consumer 34 located behind the liquid source 36 is not used for a prolonged period, the stagnation of the liquid at the end of the liquid conduit 30 can cause problems such as deposits or the formation of germs.

[0056] This problem can now be overcome with the device 2. The device 2 allows an automatic flushing and thus an at least partial replacement of the liquid in the liquid conduit 30. Thereby one or more of the valves 10 in the flushing valve 8 can be opened depending on the size of the liquid conduit 30 or depending on the volume to be achieved by flushing procedure, and a flushing procedure can thereby be initiated.

[0057] In the case of a flushing procedure with a backflow in the drainage conduit 32 the backflow vessel 12 prevents a return flow of the liquid from the drainage conduit 32, since first of all the backflow volume of the backflow vessel 12 is filled. In addition the backflow sensor 20 can be used to close the flushing valve 8 automatically in the case of a backflow.